Buckle



Jan. 21, 1930. y- REICHEL ET AL 1,744,501

BUCKLE Filed 0G11. '7, 1925 MMM f INVENTOR, f

A BY

, ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 2l, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE JACOB REICHEL AND LOUIS BAR-NETT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUCKLE Application filed October 7, 1925. Serial No. 60,957.

This invention relates to buckles. More particularly the invention is directed to buckles for belts, and the like purposes, of novel construction and having improved means for adjusting the size of the belt or other device to which the buckle is applied.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide an improved device of the character described which shall comprise few and simple parts, shall be neat and attractive in appearance, inexpensive to manufacture, and practical and elicient in operation to a high degree.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construct-ion, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a buckle embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the buckle shown in Fig. 1, partly broken away to show the in terior construction;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-8 in Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 6 are front elevational views of modified forms of buckles embodying the invention; j

Figs. 5 and 7 are cross-sectional views taken on lines 5-5 and 7-7 in Figs. 4 and 6 respectively Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing another modified form of the invention;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the improved buckle applied to a fragmentary portion of wearing apparel showing the buckle fixedly anchored and concealed from view with the except-ion of the adjusting button; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the improved buckle shown in Fig. 8 applied to form a novel belt adjusted to lit about the waist of the wearer.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 denotes a buckle embodying the invention comprising a casing, or frame 11 adapted to house a pair of parallelly disposed, rollers 12 having the shaft ends 'l2a thereof journaled in the end walls 11a of said casing. The side walls 11b of the latter are preferably bent to curve outwardly for providing smooth passage for the free ends 13a of a belt strap 13, and for guiding the strap ends around each of the rollers as shown in Fig. 1. Vorm wheels 14 are mounted to turn within the casing 11 with the adjacent roller shaft end 12a. These wheels engage the diametrically opposite side of a worm 15 having its axis extending transversely to the axis of the rollers 12. Said worm 15 is provided with shaft ends 15a and 15b journaled in the front and rear wall 11c and 11d, respectively, of the casing. The shaft end 15b extends through the front casing wall 11c and has mounted thereon a control knob or adjusting button 16.

Each roller 12 may be constructed in any well understood manner to prevent relative slippage of the belt strap thereon. In Fig. 3 a positive type of drive is shown, which is seen to comprise spaced pins or cogs 17 projecting from each of the rollers and adapted to engage into spaced perforations 13b in the belt strap ends 13a. A grommet or eyelet 18 may be secured in each of the perforations 13b to reinforce said strap ends, as will be well understood.

In using the invention, the buckle 10 may be incorporated in the structure of wearing apparel, being anchored by attaching the side walls 11b of the casing in any suitable manner to the cloth forming the garment, 'as for example by means of stitches 19 and is concealed from view with the exception of the button 16 which is left exposed to permit the convenient yadjustment of the belt to desired size. Said button may be also made to serve as an ornamental trimming. l

The operation of the device will now be apparent. With the belt strap 13 in positionv to engage the buckle rollers 12 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the belt size is adjusted without handling the belt strap, by simply turning the button 16, in stem-winding fashion counterclockwise to decrease the belt size or to tighten the belt, and clockwise to increase the size or release the belt. The worm Wheel drive for the rollers 12 serves to positively retain the size of the belt strap in any adjusted position.

1n the modified form of buckle 10a shown in Figs. Lland 5, a button 116 is mounted on one end 112"L of one of the roller shafts extending through the end casing 11a, and the rollers 112 may be geared together through meshing of gear wheels 114 mounted thereon. To prevent relative slippage between the belt strap ends 13a and said rollers, each of the latter may be provided with a suitable friction or non-slip surface 1121 by being knurled or formed of rubber, or the like material. The belt strap is preferably arranged to be compressed when passing between the rollers 112 so as to assure positive gripping Contact, a spring detent 2O mounted on the casing 11 and havine' a tooth 21 being provided to engage one or the gear wheels 11H1 for releasably retaining the rollers 114 and thereby 'the belt size against accidental displacement from an adjusted position.

1t is to be understood that either roller drive of the buckles 10 and 109L described may be made less expensive in construction, if desired, by providing but a single gear or worm wheel and arranging a friction contact between the belt portions on the rollers (not Shown).

In Figs. 6 and 7 is shown another modified form of buckle construction embodying the invention which has but a. single main roller 212 about which both belt strap ends 13n are wrapped, said roller being provided with an adjusting button 216 and suitable detent means 220 to releasably retain said roller 212 from accidentally turning to release the belt. Suitable means for guiding the belt strap ends 13n around the roller 212 are provided, These may be in the forni of a rounded side wall 11b as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, or as here shown comprise a pair of idler rollers 211 positioned parallel 'to and extending one on each side of the roller 212.

The operation of buckles 10a and 10b is similar to that of buckle 10 described above, the only difference being that in buckle 10b both belt strap ends 13a are carried to the same side of the buckle casing 11 instead of to the opposite sides thereof, as in buckles 1() and 10a.

There the buckle is to be used in an exposed position, as for use in trousers, coats, or suit belts and the like, it may be desirable to give the device a novel appearance. This may be done by locating the adjusting button 316 to substantially cover the entire front side of the buckle 10C, said button being made plain or suitably ornamented to present a neat and artistic appearance, as in Fig. 8. 1n the latter figure the button 316 is mounted on the end of a drive shaft 321 which carries a gear wheel 322, the latter meshing with a gear wheel 323 mounted to drive the worm 315. To adjust the belt side the button 316 is turned to revolve the rollers 12 as described above in the operation of buckle 10.

Either of the buckles when used for trousers, coat belts, or the like purposes, may be provided with any suitable form of quickdetachable means 324 to permit easy and convenient applying and removal of the belt. Said means may be made integral with the buckle, or may be inserted as a separate memer the belt strap spaced from the buckle.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is Well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:-

1. A belt buckle of the character described comprising a casing and means for engaging the belt strap to adjust the belt size and for retaining the adjusted position, said means including a pair of rollers for winding the belt strap and means for turning said rollers in opposite directions.

2. A belt buckle of the character described comprising a casing and means for engaging the beltstrap to adjust the belt size and for retaining the adjusted position, said means including a pair of roliers for winding the belt strap, and means for turning said rollers in opposite directions, said last mentioned means comprising a gear wheel fiXedly mounted on each of said rollers and a single worm interposed between said gears for actuating the same.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures.

JACOB REICHEL. LOUIS BARNETT. 

